The Tale of Space Sword
by Alex Lynx Ten'ou
Summary: Before the dawn of Silver Millennium...Origin of Space Sword, and some characters' past.


Disclaimer: I don't claim to own Naoko-sama's characters. I just   
can't fight the inspiration her masterpiece gives me.   
Notes: Any feedback welcomed!   
  
**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^  
Step after step - fast, strong, confident. No fear, no doubts, no hope.   
A warrior. Loneliness, pride, sanity. Reflexes are quick, senses are   
sharp, experience is vast. Any danger, anywhere, will be met readily.   
Where the path leads to? Step after step...   
  
She wiped her forehead with a back of her free left hand. That one swift   
motion - and she was composed again. Long sword did a graceful swirl,   
due to a flick of her hand, but it was more of overcaution. Her opponent   
was a limp mass at her feet. A drop of blood fell down from the tip of   
the sword. She smirked.   
"Th-thank you, sir!" bubbled the inn owner in relief, watching as other   
two of his attackers, moaning from pain, carried their leader away.   
"How can I ever..."   
"Good dinner could be an equal repay" she said, wrapping her cape around   
herself, so her exquisite armor couldn't draw more stares.   
  
The dinner was a masterpiece indeed, but she munched it quickly to   
save time for sleeping. Two weeks of travelling through a deserted,   
nonetheless dangerous, rocky land were exhausting. She stretched and   
blew off the candle.   
"Sir Herschel?" was suddenly a voice at the door. Before thinking, she   
was already on her feet and armed. The door opened carefully, revealing   
the inn owner's figure lit by candle.   
"Don't *ever* do that again. I almost got you killed as intruder. Where   
did that name come from, by the way?" she sheathed the sword, relieved.   
"That figured out" shrugged the man and beamed a smile. "I'm happy to   
welcome such a great warrior at my inn, Sir. If you need anything..."   
"No, thank you...Ah, wait. Do you know where can I buy a good horse?"   
she asked, remembering. *That damn wolves! The horse cost me 1000!*   
"Oh, yeah! It's gonna be Spring fair opening tomorrow" little man was   
obviously glad to be any help for his savior.   
  
Maybe, like a hawk among pigeons, or a lynx among rabbits, she was   
among peasants and merchants. Tall, slender, nonetheless built, she   
moved like a feather through a sparse forest. Worn deep blue cape fell   
on her back, covering the crossbow. A long sword with nicely done golden   
hilt rested at her side. Armored leather vest, accompanied with metal   
arm shields, that she wore over a white collared shirt, was something   
strange and disturbingly unusual among bright clothes of people. She   
ignored stares and moved ahead, looking around at picture of prosperity   
and peace that was the fair. Spotting the place where horses were sold,   
finally, she was ready to go there, when something startled her. It was   
something she noticed with a corner of her eye. She turned. *Oh, damn*   
"Young, fresh virgins for tasteful! They're beautiful, and cost not   
more than a pleasure they can give!" the voice was high and annoying,   
a professional slave trader's one.   
She narrowed her eyes in disgust. Slavery wasn't rare in that dark,   
medieval times. Furthermore, it was still legitime.   
The seller raised his whip: "Come here, now!". and a cloaked figure   
winced and stepped ahead frightenedly. He grabbed the dirty cloak and   
tore it off. "A jewel! Angelic beauty!" he yelled, pushing a slave   
forward, so she was exposed to the curious crowd.   
'Sir' Herschel was amazed. The girl didn't belong to any people of the   
world she knew. She had big silver eyes, and her silver hair was up   
in the weirdest way to imagine, flowing down in tails from two balls.   
*Something...something about her...a light? Warmth?* was on warrior's   
mind when she heard: "Eight hundred! Who gives more?"   
"Thousand!...Twelve hudred!" were voices everywhere. The girl looked   
at the crowd with fear, seeing dirty, hungry looks of men. Suddenly she   
met the eyes of a some man, who towered above others. Shimmering eyes   
of cold steel color. He looked at her seriously, and then winked.   
The price was three thousand already, more than any slave cost ever.   
"Five thousand" said the warrior, surprising herself with that sudden   
decision. *That girl...*   
"Sold!!!" cried the trader in shoked silence.   
Cursing herself mentally, she gave the money, but before they even   
turned slave girl's side, a victorous scream was heard. "There she is!!   
Get her, now!!!"   
*What the hell?*   
Seven or about black shadows on equally black horses rushed to the   
slave tradery. "Get her!" yelled the man again, leading others. Black-clad   
attacker outstrethed a hand to grab the silver-haired girl, but, in   
instant, yelled in pain as a flash of light yellow cut off his arm.   
"Hey, that's not your property!" yelled the 'new owner', shielding the   
girl with herself, and holding a sword. "Back off!"   
Without a word, they attacked. She dodged a hit and plunged the blade   
through one's stomach. Then, a high back flip - and two others met each   
other. One direct and powerful blow after another, she got rid of two   
more. Slight sound behind - and she confidently thrust the sword back,   
when heard a scream of the silver beauty, who was in hands of the enemy.   
She got the crossbow from her back and shot, seemingly not aiming, but   
the arrow hit the man dead, and the girl was safe. Herschel swung the   
crossbow back and pulled her sword from attacker's chest. "Thanks for   
holding it" she muttered.   
"What do you think you're doing?"   
She turned quickly and saw the last one, the leader, holding a sword to   
girl's throat. "Drop the sword!"   
"Defending myself, maybe?" she replied, glaring daggers, but doing so.   
"Give up the girl and you will live! Or die, if you insist"   
Somewhere near, voices were approaching. The man sneered, recognizing   
others. There was no time.   
Carefully, she got a dirk from her sleeve, behind her back.   
"How about no?"   
The dirk struck into the man's shoulder, and as he let go the girl,   
yelping and clinging at the wound, she rushed to his horse, the finest   
of all one, got into saddle and grabbed the girl by her waist, riding   
near. Then - to gates of the city, and the road led away...   
  
...She looked at the fire wistfully, watching the flames. Actually, she   
was watching the girl, whose silver hair was tinted yellow by the fire.   
The night was cold. She was used to even worst weather, but the girl   
was shivering. She silently got up and wrapped her cape around the   
gentle figure.   
"Thank you..." she whispered. Was she crying? Her delicate face was   
sad. "For everything"   
"Who were that men?" asked the warrior. "Why were they after you?"   
"I don't know" the girl shook her head.   
"Hmm..." (*What have I've got myself into?*) "So, who are you?"   
The girl smiled weakly. "I don't know...or rather don't remember"   
"???"   
"I woke up in the forest, alone, two weeks ago. I can't remember anything   
about who am I or where am I from. That's the only thing I had besides   
clothes" she reached under her blouse, blushing, and took out a medallion,   
that was dangling on a thin chain. *Hm, gold!* thought 'sir' Herschel   
and opened it carefully. Inside the shallow medallion there was written   
one word.   
"Serenity?"   
"You know that language?" surprised the girl. "I couldn't read it myself"   
"What does this mean - Serenity? Is this your name?"   
"Maybe...it sounds so familiar..." she was confused.   
"Let's assume it is,...Serenity" sighed the warrior. She got up and walked   
to the horse. The black animal looked at her with intelligent eyes, as   
ate the grass her new owner gave it.   
"Eh...sir?" called Serenity. The one in question smirked.   
"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself" she said. "I'm Heaven. Heaven   
Herschel...So you're not the only one with a strange name"   
Serenity smiled brightly. "It's not strange, it's very beautiful. A   
proper name for an angel who save me. Thank you again, Sir Herschel"   
"Call me just Heaven" she sat against the tree, comfortably. "And by the   
way, I'm not a 'sir'. I'm female"   
She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep. Serenity, wide-eyed, looked   
at her.   
  
  
**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^  
No Sailor Senshi were harmed while writing this (actually, there wasn't   
any in this part) 


End file.
